Why Slow and Steady Wins in Leadership Training

By:
Simon Casuto

Leadership training? That’s easy. Leadership training that is effective and sustainable? That’s another story altogether.

Too often, leadership training is approached with a boot camp mentality: Fast and intense, an afternoon is supposed to be enough to churn out the latest crop of visionaries and leaders. But those on the front lines understand that leaders need more than a quick-fire approach to training.

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The best leaders are trained little by little and piece by piece to create a solid foundation.

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It’s true that some people are born leaders, but for the rest of us, leadership skill-building happens slowly but surely. That’s because leadership training has so many layers and is almost never complete. Even the best-known leaders are always looking to hone their skills and build on the characteristics and knowledge that they already have. Because of this, leadership training is best approached when learners have a chance to absorb and digest new strategies and information. A rapid fire course might have some effectiveness, but it likely won’t get the powerful results you need to create a new crop of creative, efficient, and dependable leaders within your organization.

Using Microlearning for Leadership Training

Here’s where microlearning becomes a star for leadership training: By feeding would-be leaders small bites of knowledge, inspiration, advice, and leadership opportunities, learners are able to safely test the waters of leadership with less fear of failure. Instead of potentially overwhelming employees with the weight of leadership, it’s a mantle that is taken up slowly to help create more confidence.

If you want to learn how to use microlearning in your specific leadership training, connect with us here.

Even something as simple as a motivational quote or a reminder sent to learners’ smartphones can help build up leadership skills and reinforce the foundational soft skills that are already in place.

In marketing, there is an approach to email called a “drip marketing campaign” where each week an email is released to potential customers building upon the one preceding it to slowly but more effectively sustain the attention of a prospect. Microlearning does the same thing for leaders by releasing information slowly each week/month that is short enough to take in and absorb, and then builds upon itself over time to effectively train skills that learners retain.

This step-by-step, piece-by-piece approach is more sustainable in the long run, resulting in better talent management and succession for your organization.

That’s Not All…

Don’t make the mistake of relying only on eLearning to take care of all of your leadership and succession training needs. Some of the most potent training will come from face-to-face interactions where students have the opportunity to learn from those already in leadership positions. Mentorship adds to the effectiveness and impact of eLearning offered through training courses and microlearning, helping fill in the parts the learner needs a little extra help.

A blended approach–not a quick fire method–is always best for building soft skills that need to be both explained and demonstrated for learners to understand. Sequencing leadership training properly and using more palatable delivery methods can help turn a crop of underlings into the most effective leaders your organization has ever seen.